Turkey will back Swedish NATO membership at summit
Fox News’ Alex Hogan reports on President Biden’s visit to Lithuania ahead of the NATO summit while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demands NATO declare it a de-facto military alliance member.
President Biden said during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey on Tuesday that he looks forward to meeting with him again over "the next five years."
"I look forward to meeting with you the next five years," Biden said at NATO's Vilnius summit during their brief public remarks, following a bilateral meeting where the two leaders welcomed NATO’s newest member, Sweden.
Sweden will become the 32nd official country of the international alliance after Turkey agreed to withdraw its objections to allow its membership. Sweden met all the requirements to join NATO but lacked the unanimous consent needed from all member nations.
"Mr. President, it's good to see you again," Biden told Erdoğan. "It’s a delight to be with you, and, you know, we're in this historic meeting, resolving a lot of things, I hope. And we made it all the more historic by the agreement you reached yesterday in the admission of Sweden and how you're going to proceed."
President Biden, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hold bilateral talks at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Turkey withdrew its objections after Biden and Erdoğan negotiated Turkey’s membership into the European Union and the sale of American F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Hungary also blocked the membership but has since withdrawn its objections.
The U.S. president added, "Thank you for your diplomacy and courage, and how you took that on. And I want to thank you for your leadership. Mr. President. This summit is reaffirming our commitment to NATO, and the NATO defense and allies in NATO, and I hope we can make it even stronger."
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, right, speaks with President Biden at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Erdoğan welcomed his "dear friend [from] the United States" and thanked him for congratulating his successful re-election.
"I'm grateful for the congratulatory messages that you have extended to me, strategic management and within the framework of our strategic mechanism. I think it's my time for the heads of states to get together for further consultations," the Turkish president said. "That's why I believe today's meeting with you at the NATO Summit is the first step forward."
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Erdoğan continued, "Our meetings prior to this were mere warm-ups, but now we are initiating a new process. This new process is a process of five years. And now you are getting prepared for the forthcoming elections. And with the forthcoming elections, I would like to take this opportunity to also wish you the best of luck.
"Thank you very much," Biden said. He added: "I look forward to meeting with you the next five years."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, left, meets President Biden within the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday. (Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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The comment comes as Biden is seeking re-election in 2024, where he could potentially have a rematch with his 2020 opponent, former President Donald Trump.
Biden currently faces a pair of unlikely Democratic primary challengers and a growing list of Republican candidates. Trump leads the GOP field that also includes former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and others.
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